This old barn: Midland barn, circa 1900s, to be razed, recycled

Story by Matthew Woods

Published 4:00 am, Monday, August 25, 2014

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The barn on Augusta Oskvarek's property off Jefferson Road is being torn down and the wood repurposed for various uses. The barn has stood on the property since the early 1900s, although it has been rebuilt and made larger over the years. Inside you can still see some of the original tinder used.

The barn on Augusta Oskvarek's property off Jefferson Road is being torn down and the wood repurposed for various uses. The barn has stood on the property since the early 1900s, although it has been rebuilt and

The barn on Augusta Oskvarek's property off Jefferson Road is being torn down and the wood repurposed for various uses. The barn has stood on the property since the early 1900s, although it has been rebuilt and made larger over the years. Inside you can still see some of the original tinder used.

Ed Oskvarek recalls memories about the barn on his mother's Augusta Oskvarek's property. Although the barn has been rebuilt and made larger over the years, some of the original timber can be seen. less

The barn on Augusta Oskvarek's property off Jefferson Road is being torn down and the wood repurposed for various uses. The barn has stood on the property since the early 1900s, although it has been rebuilt and ... more

Photo: Sean Proctor/Midland Daily News

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Ed Oskvarek recalls memories about the barn on his mother's Augusta Oskvarek's property. Although the barn has been rebuilt and made larger over the years, some of the original timber can be seen.

Augusta Oskvarek has to say goodbye to something that has been part of her life since 1947. It’s a big red barn that has stood as the center of her family farm since she married Frank Oskvarek just after World War II. But thanks to some ingenuity and the repurposing movement, wood from the barn will live on in various forms for generations to come.

“I have lived here for almost 67 years,” said Augusta. The couple had seven children, four boys and three girls.

The family barn, on Jefferson Road in Larkin Township, has seen better days, but considering its age, it has held up well to countless harvests and winters. But recent weather events have forced the family to take down the barn.

Ed Oskvarek, Augusta’s son, said high winds from last year really did a number on the structure.

“The storms last fall really did a lot of damage,” Ed said. “We hate to take it down, but it just isn’t safe as it is.”

Although the barn looks sturdy at first glance, Ed said the big problems are inside.

“Some of the big beams have cracked and it really is unsafe (for it) to be standing there,” Ed said. Fears of future storms got the family thinking about taking down the barn before Mother Nature finishes the job for them.

“We really hate to see it go,” Ed said, looking out the window of his mother’s living room at the large, red barn in the back yard.

“Yes, it is a shame,” Augusta added.

Faced with the decision on what to do, the usual option came up in family discussions.

“We didn’t just want to tear it down and throw it all away,” Ed said.

“No, it would be a shame to do that,” Augusta said.

While looking for options, Ed learned through a friend of a Michigan-based business that dismantles old barns and sells the wood. The reclaimed lumber is finding use in furniture, home decorations and even parts of new architecture. Ed made some contacts, and the family barn is planned to be dismantled and removed by the end of September.

Augusta and her family are happy that their barn, which has been standing for more than 100 years, will be used again by people from all over the country.

Frank Oskvarek’s parents, Wendell and Mary, were from an area in Europe once called Austria-Hungary. Mary, who relocated with family to Larkin Township, met Wendell while working in Ohio. The couple fell in love and were married, and saved their pennies to buy a farm. When property opened up back up north in Larkin, the couple purchased the farm in 1926. Frank was 4 years old.

Mary passed away four years later, and Wendell raised his two sons. Frank joined the Navy in November of 1942, but had to return to the farm after Wendell died in an accident.

Augusta and Frank were married five years later, and the couple ran the farm together.

“My husband Frank worked at Dow so we had chores to do,” Augusta said. “We had feeder cattle. But when everyone else is gone, somebody’s got to feed the cows.” Augusta said the family had dairy cows at various times and, of course, they needed to be milked.

When asked which type of cow was easier to care for, Augusta laughed.

“Feeder cows are the best because you don’t have to milk them,” she said. “We had to milk our cows twice a day.”

Frank could not get enough of being out on his farm, even though he had another full time job.

“He farmed at night after Dow,” Ed said. “That was pretty much standard for a lot of people who worked farms around here.”

Both mother and son laughed when asked if the kids had work to do on the farm.

“Oh yes,” Ed said. “All of the neighbors’ kids did the same thing.”

“All the kids worked on the farm until they got their own jobs,” Augusta added. “I can’t imagine having that many kids in the city. What would they do all day?”

One of the reasons the barn has stood so long was an architectural addition that helped keep it strong — an L-shaped addition on the south side of the barn.

“Originally they just had a straight barn. There was a mile area of fields here and it would get blown down,” Ed said. “The guy that rebuilt it, made it an L-shape to make it stronger.”

“That’s why that barn is standing and that tree is gone,” Augusta said matter-of-factly about a 33-inch diameter tree that didn’t survive last year’s fall winds. “There are broken beams in there, but it didn’t blow it down.”

Ed said the family researched the property at one time, and they think the barn as it stands now was rebuilt in 1903 or 1904 from the old design. The original straight barn was said to have been built several years before that.

Ed said the barn was both a place of hard work and hard play for the Oskvarek children.

“Oh, the things we used to do in here when we were kids,” Ed said with a laugh. “We used to climb to the top of the bales and pretend we were paratroopers and jump into the hay.”

When Frank retired, he just kept right on working at the farm. Although the animals eventually were phased out, Frank still planted and helped friends with their farms.

“My dad couldn’t wait to be retired so he could get back to work on his farm,” Ed said with a laugh. “He loved working on the farm.”

Frank passed away in 2012, while watching television at home with his wife.

“He died on his farm,” Ed said. The couple were married for 64 1/2 years.

As for what the Oskvarek clan is doing to remember their barn, Ed said his siblings have taken a few items to be in their homes, along with a special memento that took some work to complete.

A family friend took an aerial photo of the farm several years ago and sibling Doug made picture frames with wood reclaimed from the barn.

“All of the kids have one in their homes now,” Ed said of the photograph.

Both mother and son think Frank would be happy to see his barn being reused.

“Back then, people didn’t just throw things away, they reused everything,” Augusta said. “I think he would be happy to see what we are doing.”